Swords & Soldiers Review

One of the best console RTS games ever.

WiiWare has been pretty depressing lately. For weeks and weeks we've been getting nothing but super lame family party games. The drought is over, though, as Ronimo Games has delivered one of the best games for Nintendo's downloadable service -- and one of the best console real-time strategy (RTS) games ever. These are the guys that created the original concept for de Blob, and their first console game, Swords & Soldiers, is quite impressive. You may have played your fair share of RTS games, but unless you played Grim Grimoire on PlayStation 2 you probably haven't experienced a side-scrolling RTS. And even if you have, I bet you haven't played a side-scrolling RTS with ninja monkeys. That's what Swords & Soldiers brings to the table. It's almost enough to make me forgive WiiWare for Family Pirate Party.

Like most RTS games, players have to mine resources, spend resources on troops and research, defend their territory, and overtake the enemy's. But the whole shebang is presented in 2D with the player's base on the left and the enemy advancing from the right. The Wii remote is used to point at onscreen icons to summon units. It totally works as a streamlined strategy game. You won't find the same level of depth as, say, Starcraft, but there is plenty of fun and challenge here.

Your objectives will vary slightly from mission to mission. You may have to destroy the enemy base, survive for a certain amount of time, or navigate a limited amount of troops through the enemy's defenses. There are three factions in Swords & Soldiers, each with its own 10-mission campaign, units, and abilities. Each campaign starts you out slowly with just a few troop types but doles out new abilities at regular intervals. The game gets a lot of mileage out of simple controls and limited mechanics.

You can scroll left and right on the battlefield with the D-pad. A map stretches across the bottom of the screen, revealing yours and the enemy's troops and the locations of castles and towers. Some maps have branching paths that split into a high road and a low road. In these cases you can click on an arrow at the fork in the road to determine which path your troops will take on their march. This can be a strategic decision, as one path may contain more enemies but also a stash of resources.

Real-time strategy games have had a shaky past on consoles. Usually the domain of the PC, the transition from mouse and keyboard controls to an analog stick often isn't kind to an RTS. Swords & Soldiers may really be onto something with its 2D, side-scrolling approach. It makes navigating the battlefield a breeze, and there are no clunky menus to fumble through.

Beyond the campaigns there is a local versus mode for two players, single-player skirmishes, and mini-game challenges based on specific aspects of the campaign. A built-in achievement system rewards you for accomplishments like controlling 50 units at once and completing campaigns. Unfortunately, you can't post your achievements online for all to see.

Swords & Soldiers sports a great-looking, cartoon art style. The orchestral soundtrack is rousing and there is a spattering of comical voice over work. All of these little touches give the game personality and make it a standout WiiWare title.

The Verdict

After de Blob and now Swords & Soldiers, Ronimo Games is definitely a developer to watch. There is nothing else like this on WiiWare, and the production values are much higher than most other games on the service. Strategy fans should find their fix here &#Array; just don't expect as deep an experience as some of the better-known real-time strategy games on PC. Removing a dimension and making the gameplay side-scrolling was a great way to get this genre working on a console. Swords & Soldiers was built for Wii, and as such it plays very well on the system. Don't let this one pass you by -- it's one of the best console RTS games ever.